Bag Making: Spring Market 2016

So this week I got to make a bag (or I should say clutch) for the Spring 2016 International Quilt Market in Utah! I believe this is my fourth time making a Swoon bag to be displayed at the market and it's always fun to get to play with some pretty fabrics from a new line and to keep an eye out for it in pictures from the market scenes that blow up social media.

So for this market, I made the Dakota Tablet Clutch by Swoon (of course Swoon! I haven't made a non-Swoon bag for years now!). Sadly, this was my first time making Dakota and I have no idea why I hadn't made her before! Isn't she darling???

The fabrics I was sent to make her with are Free Spirit Fabrics from their Noteworthy line. I feel like they are perfect for a spring Dakota!

As the title of the pattern implies, this is a clutch designed to hold your tablets. The original size of the pattern pieces create a final clutch measuring 10" tall by 8" wide, but you can also print the pattern at a smaller scale for a snugger fit for smaller tablets. I made the original size and you can see my kindle peeking out above has more than enough room.  

This pattern is very beginner friendly, but it is also a highly gratifying project for the experienced bag maker who wants to take a break from their normal, more complex bags for some fun, more instant gratification. And though it is an easier design, Alicia's (Swoon's designer) brilliant, unique style still shines though with the optional contrasting exterior overlay and the functional back handle. Plenty of interfacing is required, as well, to safely cushion your tablet. 
 

Well have I convinced you yet to make her???  If not, I should add that this pattern is FREE!!! Seriously, go pick her up and make one today, either for yourself or as a gift. They would make an excellent graduation gift, which is coming up soon! Happy Sewing all and if you are headed to the quilt market, be on the lookout for Dakota! :)

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Introducing Miss Julie: The Second Pattern in the Swoon Vintage Collection

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I have been doing quite a lot of bag sewing lately, although as usual, I am too lazy or busy to blog about them. However, I had to make an exception with the last bag I just sewed, as she is beyond fabulous! So I decided to roll out the red carpet (or in this case, five yards of interfacing) for this royal beauty's introduction.

I am pleased to introduce you to my tester version of Miss Julie, the Second Soon-To-Be released pattern of the Swoon Vintage Collection!

Julie: The Ring-Top Handbag

I am pretty much in love with her! I have to say that I set a record with this bag when it came to picking out the fabric I would use. Usually, it takes me forever to dig through my ridiculous stash of fabric, often coming away thinking I have nothing I like or trying to decide between different combinations. As soon as I went to look in my stash, this fabric, which I have had for close to two years, immediately caught my eye and there was no deliberating about it. I knew it was perfect! By the way, both the exterior and interior fabric are Benartex prints.

I have also had these bamboo handles (which I bought at Jo-Ann's) for ages and was thrilled to finally use them! One thing great about this pattern is you can make your own handles out of fabric and some inexpensive tubing or you can use pre-made ones, like I did. The pattern includes excellent instructions for making the handles. I will say, for me, the most difficult part of sewing this bag was top stitching along the bottom of those handles! But it can be done, with a little dose of patience and determination.

Another thing I love about Julie is her vintage look with a slight modern, convenient touch; that is her removable strap, which allows for hands-free carrying.

The strap is optional and even if you include it, it can be completely hidden as the strap connectors are tucked nicely away.

Julie has two slip pockets (both an interior and exterior) and plenty of room inside to tote around all the items you could need for a classy night on the town.

Julie will be released this week, and you will be able to purchase her two different ways, either as an individual pattern or you can purchase the Swoon Vintage Collection Subscription. The Swoon Vintage Collection Subscription includes all 12 vintage PDF patterns that Swoon will be releasing over the course of a year, at a very discounted bundle rate. You will receive each of the 12 patterns as they are released. In fact, you get them earlier than the general public! More details about Swoon's subscriptions are available on the Swoon website.

Now put on your pearls and heels and some lacy gloves and take Julie out on the town in style! :)

Introducing Melody: The Expandable Tote

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For anyone who has followed or read my blog, you know I have a thing for Swoon Sewing Patterns! Okay, maybe more than a thing, maybe a borderline obsession! ;) LOL I have had the privilege of testing Swoon patterns for over a year now, and you might think that eventually the patterns would become routine or you know, less surprising and impressive. After all, how many amazing designs can one person continue to create? Wouldn't they run out of ideas eventually??? Perhaps, this is true for some pattern designers, but it definitely isn't the case with Swoon!

Once again, the lovely Alicia has wowed me! It is my privilege to present to you Miss Melody: The Expandable Tote!

Isn't Miss Melody a classy, sweet girl? She has definitely won the affections of her Swoon testers! (Pssstt a little bird told me there are some lovely pictures at the end of this post of some other Swoon testers' Melody's!)

And why not!?!?! This girl has some special features that make her unique, beautiful, and functional. As said above, Melody is an expandable tote, which explains the need for her side magnetic snaps! Not only do they allow the bag to expand or close with a simple, quick snap, but when closed, I think they had an extra special dimensional touch! Also take note of her side seam stripes! Love this feature! Talk about adding a fun pop of color!

Another special touch: The SNAP TAB! Love this functional touch!

As you can tell, Melody also has her own unique style of handles, which I loved making! Vinyl tubing is an optional touch for the handles, which will give them more dimension. I didn't have any on hand, but the beautiful thing is that I can still add them! :) I also love the o-rings! Hardware just adds a special touch to any bag I think.

 
Melody also has a mediumish size interior pocket, perfect for holding your phone, keys, lip gloss, and some cash or a small wallet. (Please excuse her wrinkles! She is still a little rumpled from her turning!)

So my final verdict??? PERFECTLY SWEET! Melody is an easy sew for experienced baggers and a safe project for even the inexperienced bagger to approach! Regardless, it is a project with beautiful results! She is just the right size for toting around the essentials and adding some jazz to your style! :) Stylish, functional, and perfect like all things Swoon! Make sure to be watching for her release on the Swoon website! I think I heard a rumor that she will be released sometime this week, like maybe FRIDAY! Just in time to whip out say one or two or ten for Christmas presents!!! :) While you eagerly await her release, check out these other beautiful Melody's by some very talented Swoon testers! They are sure to inspire you!

This Blue-Eyed Beauty was made by Sincerely Jen!

This Alice Wonder was made by Heather of Squatch!

This Featherlicious Delight was made by Sandra of Sew Sandra!

This Pop of Elegance was made by Trish of Lemon Drop Creations

This Budding Blossom was made by Amy of Silly Sea Turtle!

This Suave Suede was made by Sheri of Sassypants Satchels!

And last, but definitely not least, is this Floral Gem made by Amanda of In Stitches!

If these lovely Melodies don't inspire you, then I am afraid nothing will! ;) But I know that won't be the case! :)

Introducing Sophia: The Beach Tote

Hello again blogging world! I know it has been forever! But at last, I am back with my latest project to share. And of course, it is only fitting that it is a Swoon bag! Let me introduce to you the soon to be released Sophia Beach Tote!

Isn't she a beauty??? I am in love already!

One of the coolest things about Sophia is her handles. I have never made handles like this, but today I became a huge fan of them. The handles are one long piece that wrap around the bag and are held in place with loops and button holes. So guess what that means???

They adjust to fit and hold your beach towel! Isn't that the coolest thing????

Of course, Sophia has enough room to hold your towel on the inside as well, along with everything else you might need on a beach trip or day at the lake.

Make sure you bring some hydration, a good book (or your nook/kindle/e-reader), sun glasses, sandals, and of course, sunscreen. Oh and maybe even a hat or a MeMe Mae cinched turban to keep that hair in place if the ocean breeze gets a little crazy. ;)

So let's get down to the specs of Sophia. As already mentioned, she has adjustable handles, which can hold a towel or even two. Sophia is massive, so she does require a rather generous amount of fabric. She has tons of room for everything you could possibly need for a day in the sun. She is even big enough for a weekend getaway! Honestly, Sophia is very versatile and should not be restricted to a beach tote alone! She has two pockets. The interior zipper pocket is perfect for keeping those valuables secure.

The exterior patch pocket is perfect for those things you want quick access to, such as your cell phone or sunglasses. This pocket has a magnetic snap closure.

The whole bag is also kept closed with a magnetic snap. Oh, and I spy one of my new labels. This is the second time I have gotten to use them.

As usual, the pattern is clear and easy to follow, with excellent instructions and visuals. I would rate this as an intermediate pattern, perfect for someone who has some bag making skills and experience with buttonholes, which really are easier than they sound. If you are a daring beginner, then I think you would be able to tackle Sophia because the directions really are so detailed.

Isn't she lovely??? Don't be jealous! Sophia is set to be released Friday, and then you can make one for yourself. If you need some inspiration, go to Swoon's facebook page and check out some of the other versions of Sophia made by some very talented Swoon testers. Or if you don't sew, Diedelbug Handmade makes beautiful Swoon bags and I am sure Sophia will be available in her shop soon.

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Blanche the Barrel Bag

Yay for the newest Swoon Pattern release: Blanche, the Barrel Bag! She is bold and beautiful and I can't wait to make her. Head on over to Swoon today and purchase her! :)

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Swoon Pattern Sale: Don't miss out!

Swoon Patterns is having an amazing sale on their already amazingly low priced patterns! Obviously, I am a big Swoon fan, so maybe I am biased! ;) No I am not! They are the best bag patterns around! If you disagree, I challenge you to show me better. :) Anyways, hurry on over to Swoon Patterns and get 30% off your entire order!

Happy Sewing/Shopping!

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Swoon Pattern Review of Eloise

Back in January, I announced the release of Eloise, Swoon's first wallet pattern, in this post and shared a pic of a halfway completed Eloise. I must confess I still have not finished that Eloise! Haha I am the worst for starting a project, setting it aside, and promising to come back to it.....I rarely finish such projects, because I always want to start from the beginning! I have, however, finally made an Eloise! Last month, the lovely Brianne from Ali Cat & Co. hosted an Eloise sew-a-long and I was inspired to finally make Eloise from start to finish. Thanks to Brianne's wonderful daily breakdown of the project, I tackled the project with determination and finished it during a very busy week. Here are some pics of my completed Eloise, along with my review of the pattern.

Front view (trifold flap)

I love the floral print I chose! And I think the purple polka-dots compliment it well! A great thing about Eloise is you can use a fat quarter for the exterior fabric! I always love projects that use fat quarters!

Back view

I am in the process of getting my own logo and new labels, but since I still have so many of my old ones I still use them for my personal projects. And a label just adds such a professional touch!

As you can tell from the above pics, Eloise is a zip around wallet that has a trifold compartment attached to one side. You can actually make the trifold by itself for a smaller wallet or you can leave off the trifold compartment, especially if you do not have a lot of cards. The complete Eloise has so many card slots; 18 total, I believe. See for yourself!

Card slots in trifold compartment (ten total, two not being used)

The trifold compartment has ten card slots and a bill slot. This is a great place to store your frequently used cards. Trifold is secured with a magnetic snap.

Inside the main compartment, are eight more card compartments, four on each side. There are also two bill slots, one on each side behind the card slots. Right in the center is a great zipper pouch, perfect for holding your cell phone and keys! Things you definitely don't want to loose!

Honestly, with all this room, you may choose not to carry around a bag! But if you do, you can now make an Eloise to match each of your Swoon bags! :)

Supplies needed for Eloise include the following: one fat quarter of quilting cotton for exterior, one yard of quilting cotton for lining fabric, 1/4 yard of double sided fusible peltex (this is wicked stuff!), 1/2 yard of craftfuse, one magnetic snap, one 18inch #5 zipper (you can purchase these at Wawak.com), and one regular 8 inch zipper.

Eloise is definitely NOT a beginner pattern, but it can be accomplished by the determined, patient sewer! The pattern provides clear instructions and excellent visuals. And if you need more help, I encourage you to visit Ali Cat & Co.'s blog and follow the daily sew-a-long instructions, which are still available. Along with breaking the project down into very manageable steps, Brianne provides some excellent pics and videos to guide you. I encourage you to check them out. And join the wonderful Swoon Patterns Group on facebook where you can get more help and encouragement for all your Swoon Sewing and where you can meet other obsessed Swoonies! ;) Hurry on over and purchase Eloise today!

Happy Sewing!

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Welcome to the Newest Swoon Pattern: India Hobo Bag

I am so excited to share with you the newest Swoon Pattern that has just been released today!!! I know I love them all, but the India Hobo Bag is now my favorite bag! Check out my own special India!

Is she not dreamy?????? I keep staring at her and can't seem to leave the house without her, even if I don't need a bag!

Doesn't she just hang so nicely??? The strap width and length is perfect! Leave it long and wear it crossbody style or tie a knot and throw it over your shoulder and wear it shorty style!

I normally do not fuss over my cutting but for India, I took my time and made sure I  cut the fabric so the bird would be front and center! I was very pleased with how it turned out! By the way, both the interior and exterior fabric are Premier Prints and home decor fabric. Both were purchased online through fabric.com.

 Anyways, enough showing her off! Let's get to the pattern specifics! The India Hobo bag pattern comes with two size options! (The size option shown here is the larger one) The specific dimensions of each size are listed on the pattern. This is a fairly easy sew. Not as easy or quick as Coraline by any means, but I think she may be slightly easier than Eleanor. If you are familiar with Swoon Patterns, you will recognize those patterns. If not, check them out! They are great too! But back to India. She will probably take you around three hours to cut and sew, maybe more, maybe less depending on your skill level. The only supplies required are fabric, interfacing, and two 7" zippers. There is no hardware. You can use either home decor or quilting cotton fabric. As I said, I used home decor for both fabrics and I did not use interfacing, since this was duck cloth, a much thicker fabric. I love the thickness of it and yet it slouches just perfectly. Some people still prefer to use interfacing even with the home decor fabric, so follow your preference.

As to her style, India is completely reversible, so you can get two looks in one bag! There are two zipper pockets, one on the outside and one on the inside. The outside zip pocket is perfect for you cell phone and keys; things you want easy access too but don't want to slip out!

There are also two slip pockets, again one on the outside and the other on the inside, both right below the zipper pockets. These are excellent for holding your e-reader or sunglasses perhaps! Your wallet can go inside the bag or safely tuck it in the interior zipper pocket!  Obviously, you have plenty of storing options with this bag!

This bag is truly amazing and a must have! Every time I throw it on, it reminds me that spring and summer are nearing! Why??? Maybe it is because the sun has been shinning this week and I have filled India with my sunglasses and nook and headed out to read in the sun! Or maybe it is just because looking at this bag brightens my day! haha

Well what are you waiting for?? Go check out the India Hobo Bag out at Swoon Sewing Patterns today! Happy Sewing!

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A FREE Swoon Pattern!!!

Super exciting announcement for any of you cardigan fans out there! The Swoon Scarf Neck Cardigan pattern (both sizes-women and girls!!) is now FREE!!!! How exciting is that!!!! If you have followed my blog at all you will know how much I LOVE this pattern! I made like three of the women's size and then one of the girls' size!  Remember I shared them here, here, here, and here!!!

Of course, you may not feel like looking back at all those posts, so I will just share some pics here, as well.

Cardigan One

 

Cardigan Two

Cardigan Three

Girl's Version

This cardigan is so comfy and you can make it casual or dressy or whatever you want! Have fun with it! And if you have a little girl, make some mommy and me matching ones! Go get your Scarf Neck Cardigan (Women) and Scarf Neck Cardigan (Girls) today!!! What do you have to loose? It's FREE!!! :) Oh and if you want to add cuffs to the sleeves like I did in pic number three, I shared some short directions here.

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The Coraline Clutch

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She has done it again! The lovely Alicia from Swoon Sewing Patterns has already released her second pattern of the new year, and this one is destined to be a major favorite (It definitely was among us testers)! Let's welcome the Coraline Clutch (or should I say, the Coraline ClutchES)!

As you can tell from the above pic, I am pretty much in love with this pattern...yes, I have already made three over a five day span....oh and I should mention, I was very sick during those five days, so had I been at full health, you may have been staring at double the amount of clutches!

So why is this pattern destined to be a major hit???? "She's gorgeous, you say?" "Well, duh, Coraline is gorgeous! That is obvious!"

Aside from being gorgeous, Coraline is going to be an overnight hit because of all her many options! With this one pattern, you get the option of two clutch sizes (small and large).

Small and Large Comparison

You also get the option of two styles: Coraline the Clutch or Coraline the Wristlet! Obviously, the wristlet can be made in either size as well.

Small Size Wristlet

You could even leave off the wristlet piece all together and turn Coraline into a travel size make-up pouch! There is plenty of room inside even the small size for all your on the go essentials.

Another great thing about, Coraline is that she uses so little fabric. I only used two fat quarters for both the small wristlet and the small clutch. The pattern also calls for interfacing and Peltex (if you are making the clutch), but again, only a small amount of both is needed. As for hardware, you only need a zipper for the clutch option and a zipper, d-ring, and swivel clasp for the wristlet option.

You can make Coraline fun and playful,

prom ready,

or simply sleek and sophisticated (but maybe with a stolen fabric flower too). ;)

Another great thing about Coraline is her zipper!!! She has a recessed zipper and when I first heard those words, I thought I should panic! But seriously, this is the easiest zipper I have ever installed. Usually, zippers just make me nervous and uptight the whole time I am installing them. Not this one! I felt like I could kick back and breathe while attaching it! Seriously, I wish I never had to do any other type of zipper ever again!

Recessed Zipper

Concerning the actual sewing of Coraline, she is a fairly quick sew, with very clear and easy instructions. The clutch option is the most time consuming, because you want to spend time getting the handles just right. If you are in a hurry, the wristlet option is obviously quicker! Overall, Coraline is a great afternoon project and pretty beginner friendly, though it is recommended you have some basic sewing skills.

I guarantee you will love this pattern! And you can do so much with it! Make yourself one! Make one as a gift (Valentine's Day is coming up!) Spring is quickly approaching and sooner than we think it will be summer, which brings weddings! Seriously, isn't Coraline the perfect bridesmaid gift!?!?! Whatever you decide to do, I know Coraline will inspire lots of creative fun! So hurry off to Swoon Sewing Patterns and pick up the Coraline Clutch today!